Friday August 25, 2017
Garissa Governor Ali Korane yesterday made an impromptu tour of Garissa County Referral Hospital and was taken aback by empty beds, dust, and bad management.
Nurses have been on strike for 90 days and no patients are admitted.
Korane promised to meet union officials to broker a return-to-work deal as they await signing the CBA.
On Monday in his inaugural speech, he said he would prioritise safe, clean drinking water and improved healthcare — areas he said had been neglected.
Deputy Governor Abdi Dagane accompanied the new county chief.
He caught many employees unaware. He visited customer care labs, maternity wing, surgical theatre and wards. The wards were empty.
Korane expressed shock the hospital has not admitted patients for three months during the nurses’ strike.
This has caused suffering and inconvenience, he said.
However, he added he was impressed by “the general cleanliness” of the hospital and its equipment “even though some units are neglected and need proper cleaning”.
“I was not impressed by the management. Simple things like cleaning. You can’t imagine the amount of dust in some offices and rooms. Some have thick layers of dust. Some of them looked like they had not been swept for the past three years,” he said.
“Funny enough, people report every day for duty. This is supposed to be a healthy environment, where people are treated. We will take immediate action to ensure people get required services.”
Korane plans to appoint an acting CEO until the Public Service Board recruits a permanent office holder.
He said the major problem is managerial and he will “fix it with immediate effect.”
At the water plant, Korane said the officer in charge has ignored his duties and “lacks necessary papers”.
“Simple things like fixing a leaking elevated storage tank don’t require much skill. This is negligence and lack of commitment to duty,” he said.
Korane said more than 15 per cent water in Garissa is lost through leakages. which he said can serve 1,000 homes.